As any parent knows, it’s not easy getting teenagers out of bed in the morning, but a hardy band of high school students from St. Joseph’s Parish here have become early risers in order to attend Mass before the school day begins.

When Diana Nunez, a young adult from St. Anthony Parish in Passaic, sent out an Instagram post Jan. 22 about the 42nd March for Life here, she posted a picture of a massive crowd of marchers with the caption “#Team Life.”

As thousands upon thousands of pro-life people — young and old — from across America descended on Washington Jan. 22 for the March for Life, there was encouraging news from Congress. The U.S. House of Represen­ta­tives passed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015” (H.R. 7).

Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France is the small town of Lourdes. Its population of 15,000 swells every tourist season to more than 5,000,000. Lourdes has more hotels per square kilometer than any other city in France except Paris. Ever since the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous on Feb. 11, 1858, there have been more than 200 million people who have come to pray at this shrine.

Jefferson Township High School worked with our Department for Persons with Disabilities providing a basketball fundraiser for the organization. The students from JTHS have given back to DPD in many capacities including an annual food drive, an annual Carnival for Kids Fundraiser and hundreds of hours of volunteer service.

Save the date for our Annual Retreat August 28-30, 2015 Malvern House of Retreats Malvern, Pa. This year our Retreat Master will be Fr. Anthony Ciorra, a priest who is well known in our diocese. More information about Fr. Anthony will be forthcoming.

Save the Date The Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate will be on Friday, June 5, 2015 at 7:30pm at Saint Peter the Apostle Church, Parsippany. We hope to see as many Deacons as possible to welcome our new brother Deacons.

Bishop celebrates vigil Mass for Feast of the Epiphany at St. Joseph Church in Paterson PATERSON Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Joseph Parish here to celebrate the vigil Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 3.

MADISON — Bishop Serratelli challenged young adults of the Paterson Diocese to follow the example of Andrew, the first Apostle of Jesus, who realized that Christ was the Messiah, after having cultivated a close relationship with him and immediately began shouting the “Good News” of the Gospel to people.

Starting on Sunday, Jan. 25, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Paterson and across the nation will begin the celebration of Catholic Schools Week, marked by Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to our Church, our communities and our nation.

Oxford University Press has a long and distinguished history. From its humble birth in 1480 when it began to publish the Bible, it has grown to be the largest publishing house in the world. Since it publishes educational materials for use in more than 150 countries, its overseers are very much aware of the broad range of religious, social and cultural differences of those whom they service.

Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 - 1pm-4pm - Stirling, NJ. The Peace Center at the Shrine of St. Joseph provides Sacred Space for those searching for peace and opportunities to be better peacemakers in the providence of everyday life.

MADISON One of the most exciting and challenging times in life is that milestone of young adulthood. College graduates begin their first career jobs. Some meet the love of their life. There are marriages and then the birth of a first child. Others simply find out who they are.

Can you hear “the cry of the poor?” It’s there if you listen closely. It is especially acute in January because this is Poverty Awareness Month. In a way it is sad that any month of the year is dedicated to poverty awareness but it is certainly necessary given the facts of the pervasiveness poverty in our own nation.

Throughout the diocese, parishes will be joining together with other Christian denominations to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an international Christian ecumenical observance, which will be celebrated from Jan. 18 to 25.

Buses from Paterson Diocese traveling to Washington, D.C. for annual March for Life On Jan. 22, the faithful from all over the Paterson Diocese will be traveling to Washington, D.C. for the 42nd annual March for Life to take a stand against abortion and stand up for life issues.